Chapter 11
Contains spoilersOverview
Wilder narrates an evening at Camp Haven as he and Scottie complete awkward dinner questions, witness Sanders and Ellison’s over-the-top Bulls-themed welcome show, and return to find their erotically staged cabin reset by staff. The pair banter about sex, boundaries, and paranoia before discovering a tablet delivering a nightly porn video intended to upsell the in-room sex toys, which Scottie rejects. They receive a terse itinerary for the morning and go to bed after dismantling most of their pillow barrier.
Summary
From Wilder’s point of view, he reflects on how little he truly knows about Scottie beyond shared friends, her editing career ambivalence, and their mutual love of Nerds Clusters. Over dinner, they finish Sanders’s mandatory icebreaker questions, teasing each other about rocky road ice cream and veering into raunchy jokes. When a prompt asks about best oral sex, Wilder improvises a fake corn-maze story to maintain their cover, while Scottie refuses to reciprocate and calls out his absurdity. Their banter reveals Scottie’s prudish streak and Wilder’s flirtatious, boundary-testing humor.
Sanders takes the stage for the welcome program, delivering housekeeping about daily itineraries, contraband confiscation, and mandatory participation. Then Sanders and Ellison perform a flashy, ’90s Chicago Bulls–themed entrance and speech about teamwork, communication, and “winning the trophy,” drawing laughter and applause. Wilder enjoys the spectacle; Scottie appears stiff and uncomfortable, highlighting their different reactions to Camp Haven’s theatrics. The couples are made to introduce themselves and participate in a whiteboard “game plan” bit before being dismissed with a group chant.
Walking back in stunned silence, Wilder and Scottie retrieve a red-envelope itinerary addressed to “Mr. and Mrs. Price” and enter their cabin, only to find staff have restored all the erotic decor and toys they previously hid. Scottie is disgusted and overwhelmed; Wilder is amused and probing about her lack of experience with toys. They negotiate sleeping arrangements, first building and then reducing a pillow wall to share the bed more comfortably.
They open the envelope: a brief instruction orders them to report to cabin ten (green square) at 8:00 a.m., with room-service breakfast at 7:30 a.m. Scottie spirals that camp activities may require public sex; Wilder reassures her that consent and legality prevent that, noting his lawyers reviewed the fine print. A mysterious ding in the room triggers Scottie’s paranoia about hidden surveillance; she mock-stages sex noises to “fool” imagined listeners and arms herself with a large dildo as a weapon while they search for the source.
They locate a plugged-in tablet in Scottie’s nightstand that is sending notifications. When Wilder opens it, a “Nightly Show” porn video appears, which Scottie decries as indecent. Wilder analyzes it as a deliberate upsell strategy for the in-room “lovemaking minibar,” suggesting the videos feature products to prompt purchases. Scottie, embarrassed and irritated by Wilder’s sarcasm, refuses to watch; Wilder jokes about taking turns. They turn off the lights and go to sleep, still committed to their cover but revealing contrasting comfort levels with Camp Haven’s sexualized setup.
Who Appears
- Wilder
Scottie’s fake husband; POV narrator; flirts, improvises sexual anecdotes to maintain cover, reassures Scottie about consent, discovers the tablet and identifies the upsell strategy.
- Scottie Price
Divorcée posing as Wilder’s wife; wary of sexual content, anxious about camp requirements, briefly paranoid about surveillance, insists on boundaries but softens the pillow barrier.
- Sanders Martin
Camp Haven counselor and Ellison’s husband; delivers rules (itineraries, consequences, contraband), leads an elaborate Bulls-themed welcome with Ellison.
- Ellison
CEO of Butter Putter and Sanders’s wife; co-performs the Bulls-themed intro and promotes teamwork messaging.
- Camp Haven staff and couples
Group audience/participants; cheer the show, join introductions and the closing chant; staff reset the erotic cabin decor and deliver the itinerary.